Published On 20/10/2025
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Last update: 12:43 (Mecca time)
In recent months, warnings have escalated in Britain about the possibility of a large-scale war erupting in Europe during the next three or four years, with increasing “Russian hostile activities” on the continent, and some experts considering that the country may already be in a state of “gray war” with Moscow, such as sabotage of facilities and infrastructure, cyber attacks, and disinformation campaigns.
This was mentioned in an article by British journalist and political writer Jane Merrick on the iPaper website, which she began with a call from Lord Harris, Chairman of the British National Preparedness Committee – for the government and society – to raise the level of military and civil preparedness in anticipation of a comprehensive European conflict.
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Harris explained that Britain is still “insufficiently prepared” compared to other countries, not only to face wars, but also to a range of other risks such as climate disasters and attacks on infrastructure.
What preparations include
Merrick explained that the proposed preparedness includes storing basic supplies and securing families’ needs for 72 hours in the event of a power outage or infrastructure attacks.
Harris was credited with his call to make the government’s emergency website more clear and active, through advertising campaigns on radio, television, and social media, and even introducing lessons on “emergency preparedness” into school curricula, similar to teaching children traffic safety rules.
Merrick said that in the military context, the Lord referred to the “Strategic Defense Review” published last June, including the draft “Defense Readiness Act” that gives the government powers to mobilize reserves and call on industry sectors to support the domestic defense effort.
The British Ministry of Defense also confirmed – according to the article – that the country is entering a “new era of combat readiness,” announcing the largest increase in military spending since the end of the Cold War, including investing 6 billion pounds in munitions, and establishing new factories to strengthen autonomous capabilities.
Jane Myrick: The proposed preparedness includes storing basic supplies and securing families’ needs for 72 hours in the event of a power outage or infrastructure attacks.
“hostile activities”
On the other hand, the author draws attention to what she calls Russia’s unprecedented escalation of its hostile activities towards Europe, noting the war in Ukraine that has no end in sight, the increasing incursions in recent months of Russian drones and fighters into the airspace of European countries such as Poland, Estonia, and Denmark, and the increase in sabotage and cyberattacks.
Merrick quoted Sir Ken McCollum, head of the British Homeland Security Agency (MI5), as confirming that Moscow is “determined to cause chaos and destruction around the world,” saying that the security services have thwarted during the past year a continuous series of surveillance and espionage attempts against figures that Moscow considers enemies.
The writer also conveyed a warning from international security expert Natia Siscoria that what is happening is a continuation of a hybrid war that Moscow has been waging for years against the West, which includes electronic sabotage, the spread of misleading information, and attempts to influence elections and the internal policies of Western countries.
Test for NATO
Siscoria added that Russia is currently raising the level of escalation to test the extent of NATO’s cohesion and to demonstrate its ability to expand the scope of the war outside Ukraine, which raises serious concern among Eastern European countries.
It believes that Moscow is playing a “very dangerous game” as it tests the limits of NATO’s patience, but it does not want a direct confrontation with it due to the current weakness of its army.
However, Siscoria asserts that if Russia continues to violate the airspace of Western countries, the alliance may find itself forced to shoot down Russian aircraft, which would be considered an act of war that could spark an all-out confrontation.
Highly stressful stage
According to the article, experts conclude that Europe stands on the threshold of a very tense stage, as Russia’s “gray” war intersects with a British and Western race to enhance defense capabilities.
Merrick concludes by saying that while London seeks to strengthen its defense and civil infrastructure in preparation for any emergency, analysts believe that the possibility of the continent sliding into open war has not been closer than it is today in more than 60 years.